Page 3 of Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3)

The foal is doing great, which means I can now take care of my rising anger and frustration at the turn my life has made.

I drive up to Ember Falls High School, and Mrs. Hendrix buzzes me in. “Good morning, Dr. Finnegan.”

I smile at the wonderful woman who has been working at this school since I went here. “Good morning, Mrs. H. Is he in there?”

She nods. “Yes, but he’s in the middle of something.”

I smile. “Perfect.”

I push the door open, finding Miles sitting at his desk. His eyes widen, and I go right into it. “You hired Violet? To be a teacher here ?”

Miles sighs heavily, leaning back in his chair. “Hello, Everett. Please, sit down, inform me of your complaint. It’s not like I haven’t had sixteen phone calls this week from parents and teachers. I’ve been dying to hear one from someone who has nothing to do with this school.”

I sit, ignoring his bad day since I really don’t give a shit. So far my day hasn’t gone much better, and this little piece of news just added to the crap-ass morning. “You didn’t tell me she was back.”

“I didn’t have to.”

He didn’t—have to? Is he fucking out of his mind? Of course he had to. Doesn’t he know shit about bro code? “She’s Violet. You know ... about us.”

“I know, but she asked me not to say anything, and I really wasn’t sure what to say. Her situation is unique, and I figured you’d find out. Besides, it was like ... forever ago. You’ve clearly moved on, and so has she.”

He knows I haven’t moved on. I mean, I had to. She was married, for fuck’s sake. Not that she’s going to be for much longer, but I really don’t need to consider any of that, since she seems to have absolutely no intention of staying in Ember Falls.

After I left the farm, I spent about ten minutes looking her up, which is something I’ve worked really hard not to do.

There it all was, her husband’s affair, the fact that she left him and filed for divorce, the photos of him and that new girl, who Violet is a million times more beautiful than.

I glare at my former friend. “Do you know how I found out she’s back?”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“Damn right I will. I was in Prose & Perk, just giving Hazel my normal daily dose of shit, and then the door chimes. I think, oh, Ainsley is here. She usually comes in now to write or do research. Only it wasn’t Ainsley.”

He jumps in as if he can’t help himself, his voice animated. “It was someone else?”

I give him the bird. Asshole . “It was Violet. All grown up and absolutely fucking breathtaking.”

For the first time since I walked in here, Miles looks genuinely apologetic. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”

“You should’ve.”

“Maybe, but she asked me not to, and I was respecting her wishes.”

I want to be mad at him—at this—but if she asked him not to, I don’t blame him. That’s a lie. I blame him, but I’m not as pissed about it.

My voice softens. “She’s married to that cheating bastard Dylan Leone. I knew that, I mean, we all knew since it was so fucking public.”

“I didn’t know,” Miles confesses.

“Seriously, you are supposed to be up on all the things because you’re around the kids all the time, and you didn’t put that together?”

“I don’t follow celebrity gossip.”

That’s some bullshit. “You know about music,” I remind him. Last year, thanks to Miles and his musical knowledge, we all dressed up when we played a team named the Swift-bees in Ultimate Frisbee. I did enjoy tormenting Lachlan by making him wear one of the Eras shirts.

Miles shrugs. “Well, I dare you to work in a high school and not know about the world’s most famous pop star. So did you guys talk?”

There’s no point in lying or trying to keep it from him. Hazel will tell Penelope, his girlfriend, and she’ll tell him. “A little. She said hi. I said hi. Hazel went absolutely nuts and hugged her like she was her long-lost sister.”

“She kind of is.” He echoes my thoughts from earlier.

“Yeah, yeah, but then I stood there, pissed and hurt and shit that I shouldn’t feel.

It’s been like fifteen years since we spoke.

I don’t know why I care. Did you look online to see what has her living back here?

” I ask, jumping from topic to topic, and Miles shakes his head.

“I’d like to beat her asshole soon-to-be ex-husband with his own arms.”

He laughs at that. “I’m going to assume it’s bad.”

I stand, no longer able to keep my frustration in check. “Dude, they made the internet for a reason.”

“Dude, I don’t look up my employees’ personal lives. She promised she’d give me one full school year. She’s incredibly qualified, and we’ve known her since we were kids. Giving her the job was a no-brainer, and giving her her privacy was also one. If she wants to tell me, she will.”

Well, isn’t that nice for him? I would’ve liked to have gotten a fucking heads-up. I would’ve liked my best friend to do right by me too. “You should’ve told me she was back. Her grandmother’s house is fucking next door. I can’t avoid her.”

“Well, I’m sorry you think that. It’s been, as you said, many years.

I didn’t realize it would set you off.” He gets to his feet.

“Now I need to do principal things, and that doesn’t include standing here, listening to you.

” He walks beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“I’m truly sorry, Everett. I didn’t know it would upset you this much. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

I really didn’t either. He’s right. It has been years.

I shouldn’t care, but the last six years of my life has changed so many things.

I work, I come home, I take care of my mother, and I do it again the next day.

There’s no time for dating, which would help me forget about her.

Besides, who would I date in Ember Falls?

Hazel is the only woman in the town who’s single and I could find attractive, but she’s Hazel.

She’s smart, beautiful, wonderful, and yet I’ve never felt an ounce of desire around her, and I’m one hundred percent sure she’s never thought of me that way. We’re like siblings and ... just no.

The pool is shallow here, and dating honestly hasn’t even been on my mind.

“I forgive you—well, I will after I kick your ass at practice,” I say.

“You can try.”

I’ll do more than that. Shit-talking is great and all, but I’d rather prove it.

“Look, all kidding aside, I wish you’d told me. It would’ve been nice to have been prepared.”

Miles lets out a long breath. “I should’ve and I’m sorry.”

“See you at practice?” I ask.

He nods. “See you then.”

I should feel better, but I don’t, because the reality is, Violet returning to Ember Falls is going to change everything. Seeing her always does.